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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. tube — the underground
  8. swing — in golf
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. swing — music
  11. present — there
  12. swing — to play on
  13. charge — in control
  14. present — a gift
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. charge — electricity
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. present — the time now
  23. charge — a price
  24. tube — a container

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com